Merchant du Vin announced it has formed MdV-Asia Ltd., a beer importing company based in Hong Kong, and selling throughout China. The company says it spent about two years researching, planning and building a distributor network, and held the official launch of the new division in Changsha, Hunan Province.

 

Representatives from Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (Tadcaster, England) and from Ayinger Brewery (Aying, Germany) were on hand for an expert presentation of each brewery’s history, culture and technical aspects. The launch included a five-city tour with introduction parties in several on-premise accounts.

 

MdV President Rich Hamilton said, “We’re super excited to be part of this dynamic beer market. We have taken a very focused approach with a limited portfolio to start, and we’ll continue to evaluate our business model based on opportunities in China. Over time we expect to grow the portfolio on a selected basis … we may even branch out from our stalwart U.S. portfolio and represent a slightly different mix. But one thing is certain: we will build the market using the same fundamentals that have proven so successful in the United States — commitment to product quality, focus on beer education, and exemplary customer service.”